SLS Module 9: Academic Integrity and Ethics
Commitment to Honor
As an ethical community, the University of South Florida is dedicated to the ideals of excellence in student development, academic learning, scholarship and research. By joining this community, each member is expected to accept and live these commitments. I resolve to maintain the honor and integrity of the university community in pursuit of student development, academic learning, scholarship and research. I resolve to respect the dignity and intrinsic value of all persons. I resolve to contribute to the progress and greater good of the community. I resolve to strive for excellence and discovery for myself, others, and the University.
Self-Plagiarism
Did you know that you can plagiarize your own work? The USF Academic Integrity policy refers to this as multiple submissions. Multiple submissions means that you take a paper or project you have previously submitted and earned a grade for in a different course and submit it again in another course or courses. This can apply to courses you are taking at the same time as well, where you want to submit the same or "substanially the same work for credit in two or more courses" (USF Academic Integrity of Student Essentially, you aren't allowed to "double-dip" and receive credit twice or more for no additional work or effort. It is true that you can request an exception to this, provided you inform your professor that you have previously submitted this work and received credit and receive their approval in writing. If the assignment is being submitted during a semester where you are taking two courses concurrently, both professors involved must be informed and approve of a multiple submission. Again, it's important to be very clear and receive written approval if you are trying to do this in a course or courses.
Citing and Quotations
In the video, the speaker is referring to direct quotations and indirect quotations or paraphrasing. Direct quotations, or using someone else's words means that you need to include quotation marks to delineate the start and end of the quotation, along with your citations. An indirect quotation or paraphrasing is when you change or move around the words, but the thought is still pulled from someone else's text.
Write It Down
It sounds simple, but let's acknowledge it: always write down where you get your ideas. Avoid unintentional plagiarism by keeping track of your research; this entails always writing down where you get your ideas. So what does this involve? Start with compiling your works cited or bibliography as you research. Don't wait to do this last. As you take notes, list your sources alongside the notes themselves. When copying quotes verbatim, use quotation marks in your notes so that you remember it's a direct quote. Also note that paraphrasing is not just changing a few words; if you are paraphrasing a thought, be sure to put it in your own words and remember to note the source. It can feel like an honest mistake sometimes--mixing up citations or leaving them off entirely--but this is still treated as plagiarism and you will still be held responsible
plagiarism definition
Plagiarism is intentionally or carelessly presenting the work of another as one's own. It includes submitting an assignment purporting to be the student's original work which has wholly or in part been created by another person. It also includes the presentation of the work, ideas, representations, or words of another person without customary and proper acknowledgement of sources. Students must consult with their instructors for clarification in any situation in which the need for documentation is an issue, and will have plagiarized in any situation in which their work is not properly documented. Every direct quotation must be identified by quotation marks or appropriate indentation and must be properly acknowledged by parenthetical citation in the text or in a footnote or endnote. When material from another source is paraphrased or summarized in whole or in part in one's own words, that source must be acknowledged in a footnote or endnote, or by parenthetical citation in the text. Information gained in reading or research that is not common professional knowledge must be acknowledged in a parenthetical citation in the text or in a footnote or endnote.
Different Academic Cultures
USF is a diverse community; you may have already noticed that your peers come from different backgrounds and experiences, and this is true in regards to academic culture. In some countries, it is acceptable or even the norm for students not to cite sources of famous figures or sources because it would be considered rude, as if your instructor wasn't familiar with their work. Some cultures view academic work as finding and duplicating (verbatim) the material. Here in the U.S., you must cite your sources and can't pass someone else's work off as your own. Other academic cultures may encourage and foster group work on assignments that are intended for individuals here at USF; it's important to note that if it's not a group project, the work you submit should be your work only.
Policies, Violations, and Sanctions
Academic Dishonesty, as defined by the USF Catalog, is the term used for a violation of the Academic Integrity Regulation. It encompasses the following behaviors: Cheating Plagiarism Fabrication, Forgery, and Obstruction Multiple Submissions Complicity Improper use of teamwork credit Solicitation or Purchase Misrepresentation Misconduct in Research and Creative Endeavors Computer Misuse Misuse of Intellectual Property Violation of State or Federal laws with regard to Intellectual Property there is also levels of severity when considering violations of Academic Integrity made by undergraduate students, ranging from Level One (lowest severity) to Level Four (highest severity). Each level also has academic sanctions to match the severity of the violation. Details of the levels are in the policy, but the range goes from a violation being committed on a small part of the overall grade and potentially unknowingly to very serious infractions similar to criminal activity, being committed after return from suspension, or otherwise at the most serious level. Sanctions at Level One might include no credit on the assignment or a make-up assignment harder in nature to complete, while at Level Four a student will be academically dismissed with a notation of "Dismissed for Academic Dishonesty on their external transcript. Sanctions in between can include a failing grade on the assignment, payment for and completion of an additional tutorial on academic dishonesty, a failing grade for the course (either F or FF), and suspension for one semester; this is not an exhaustive list as academic programs may set additional and different academic sanctions. Students must be notified when they are accused of an academic integrity violation. They are not permitted to withdraw from a class if they have violated the policy and will be reinstated if they do so. An "FF" grade may be assigned by instructors for cases of academic dishonesty. Students who receive an "FF" grade in a course may not retake the course using Grade Forgiveness. Any final course grade can be changed to an "FF"; for example, even if you were going to earn a "B" in the course, if you are found responsible for an Academic Integrity violation that's Level Two or higher, your professor may award you an "FF" grade. If you earn a 2nd FF grade, you are automatically suspended for a semester and may take no action at USF (this includes taking online classes). If you earn a 3rd FF grade, you are academically dismissed from the USF system.
Plagiarism Detection
As the means to plagiarize and cheat have become more sophisticated, so has detection of both. USF has invested in tools that our professors use to detect plagiarism in submissions. Even if you are submitting a hard copy of an assignment, usually your instructor will have you submit through Canvas as well to check for plagiarism; in many cases, if you don't submit electronically you won't earn any credit for the assignment. Plagiarism software compares your submissions to several other publications and websites; don't think that changing a few words will fool the system, and be sure to cite everything. Canvas also has tools that instructors will use for online assessments to catch students looking at materials they shouldn't, messaging other students, or using other devices while taking a quiz or test.
Collaborating Versus Cheating - What's the Difference?
Is studying in a group violating academic integrity? No, you are allowed to study with others. Is studying using test questions and answers from others a violation? Yes. You are not allowed to get information on current exams or quizzes from students who have taken the assessment in another section. Is borrowing someone's class notes and copying them a violation? No, that's OK to do. Is working through a take-home exam with others a violation? Yes, it most likely is a violation unless your professor has explicitly stated that group work is allowed. So if you can't work on homework or a take-home exam as a group, when it's intended to assess your individual effort, why would you be allowed to take a quiz together with classmates? The answer is that you don't actually have that freedom. As technology has allowed for new forms of collaborations, learning management systems like Canvas have had to adopt new safeguards to monitor for and catch cheating. This includes tools to monitor the browser tabs you have open and use your web cam to watch you as you take the assessment. Using group chat or messaging, texting, phone calls, websites, books, notes, or any other class materials while taking an exam or quiz on Canvas is not allowed, just as it isn't allowed when you are taking an assessment in person. It pays to be a paranoid here. If you cheat, you ARE going to get caught.
Intro to Academic Integrity
Let's start by explaining why we even care about academic integrity. First, it's important to give credit for others' work. We also cite our sources so that you can point out to others who helped shape your work and how to find those ideas/excerpts Finally, you are the one earning a degree. When you graduate, it will be your name on the diploma and transcript; it should follow that all the pieces that go into earning your degree (assignments, papers, projects, presentations, and exams) should be representative of your work, not work that someone else did for you. when you cheat you are cheating yourself. There's a reason we say this in academia.